Beet-blocker.



E. KRAAK. BEET BLOGKER. APPLICATION FILED mm: 19, 1908.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909 3 SHBETS-SHEET 1:

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E. KRAAK.

BEET BLOGKER. APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 19, 190B.

3 Wm flaw M m m E. KRAAK. BEET BLOGKER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1908.

939 715, I V PatentedNov.9,1909.

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ERNEST KRAAK, E FREMONT, OHIO.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, Emvns'r Kmart, a citizen of the United Statesresiding at Fremont, in the county of Sandusky and State of Ohio, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Beet-Blockers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

lhis inventlon relates to beet blockers, and consists in the preferredconstruction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter morefully specified.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a beet blocker of acomparatively simple and effective construction embodying features ofadjustment to modify the gage of the machine in accordance with rows ofdifferent widths, and to remove the beets where they are too thick by apositive transverse out while the machine is moving forward, the machinebeing specially adapted for cooperation with sugar beets. In addition tothe adjustment of the machine to accommodate different widths of rows,it is also organized to cut out more or less plants in a row as the usermay decide and find necessary.

The machine is equipped with a dual cutting organization so that tworows of beets may be thinned or blocked simultaneously;

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a beet blockerembodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section takenthrough the cutting mechanism and a portion of the cooperating elements.Fig. 4C is a horizontal section of the mechanism illustrated by Fig. 3.Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section on the line 55, Fig. 1. Fig. 6is a detail perspective view showing the parts of the mechanism. Fig. 7is a detail transverse section of a portion of the operating mechanism.Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of one of the cams for operating thecutting mechanism. Fig. 9 is a rear elevation of the lower rear portionof the machine looking toward the front of the latter and particularlyshowing the operating mechanism for the counter-shafts. Fig. 10 is adetail view of the front portion of the frame showing the adjustingmeans for the latter.

Similar characters of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates a rectangular frame or open body having asuitable draft Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. June 19, 1908.

BEET-BLOCKER.

Patented Nov. 9, 19%.).

Serial No. 439,403.

beam 2 secured to the front extremity by a yoke 2 and an attaching bar2* movably held in brackets 2 secured to the front ends of the sidemembers of the frame. A guide wheel 3 is also connected to a bridge bar3 adjustably coupling the two members 3 of the front end of the frame,said wheel occupying acentral position with relation to the machine andpreferably of the form of a caster wheel to facilitate changes indirection of movement of the machine. The frame 1 at the rear hasdepending ext-remities 4 provided with suitable bearings for a rotatableaxle 5 having ground wheels 6 secured thereon to rotate therewith andspaced apart or having such gage as to travel outside of two rows ofbeets or to move in the troughs or spaces between said rows. The axle 5and ground wheels are provided with cooperating clutch means 5*whichinsure rotation of the axle with the wheels when the machine ismoving for ward. but in backward movements the wheels 6 are permitted toturn freely on the axle without actuating the driving gear. The rearextremity of the frame 1 is also adjustably connected to a cross-bar 7from which an upright 8 centrally extends and has a drivers seat 9secured thereon. The cross-bar 7 has a plurality of openings 7 to permittransverse reduction of the rear extremity of the frame.

Fixed on the drive-axle 5 is a gear wheel 10 held in mesh with a pinion11 mounted on a power transmitting shaft 12 extending transverselyacross the frame 1 and disposed in suitable bearings 13 secured on theupper surface of the side members of the said frame. The powertransmission shaft has sprocket wheels 14 shiftably mounted thereon onopposite sides of the pinion 11, and coacting with said wheels areclutches 15 also shiftable over elongated feathers 14: on the shaft 12and operable to throw the sprocket wheels in and out of gear through themedium of forwardly extending arms 16 connected to a transverse bar 17which is movably disposed on the frame 1 in advance of the said powertransmitting shaft, see Figs. 2 and 7. The clutches may be shifted bythe feet of the operator to throw the cut ter mechanism on either orboth sides of the machine in or out of gear.

Theclutches, sprocket wheels and hangers just described are adjustablyheld in place on the shaft 12 by set collars 12 and 12 which areshift-able, and by adjusting this mechanism on the shaft 12 variationsin the width 01' the frame may be accommodated without changing thegears 11 and 10..

Depending IIOlll the opposite extremities of the power transmittingshaft are outer sniftabie hangers 18 which are free to swing forward andrearward on the shaft and eacn is connected at its lower extremity tocutter operating mechanism. Each hanger 18 consists of a bar having alower extremity 19, the extremities 19 supporting a countershaft 20rotatably mounted in the arms 21 of a yoke 22 and the said counter-shafthas thereon a sprocket wheel 23 in vertical alinement with one of thesprocket wheels 14 on the powertransmitting shaft 12 and over thesprocket wheels 14 and 23 chain belts 24 are trained to drive thecutting mechanism which is duplicated on opposite sides of the machine.inner hangers l8 are also shiftably mounted on and depend from the shaft12 and engage the shaft 20 to effectively support the latter. it will beunderstood that a counter-shaft 20 is disposed at each side of themachine to cooperate with the cutting mechanism which will be presentlyspecified, and said counter-shafts are arranged as shown by Fig. 4. Theouter and inner hangers l8 and lb' terminate at their lower extremitiesin forks 19, or, in other words, the said forks form a part of thehangers, the object in using two countershafts being to permitindependent operation of the cutting devices at opposite sides of themachine. \Vithin the arms 21 of the yoke 22 each counter-shaft 20 has abeveled pinion 25 keyed thereon and held in continual mesh with abeveled pinion 26 011 the rear end of a longitudinally extending cuttershaft 27 having bearing in the head of the yoke and projecting forwardlya suitable distance for a purpose which will be presently explained. Theforward extremity of each shaft 27 has engagement with a bearing bracket28 of the form shown by Fig. 6 and provided with a side attaching member29 disposed in vertical position and to which an angular coupling arm 30is secured. The bearing bracket 28 has a cam head 31 secured thereto andprovided with a rearwardly extending cam flange 32 presenting a bearingedge of compound curved contour formed with outwardly arranged andregularly merging convex and concaved edge means 33 and 34, the saidedge means being generally circular with the concaved portions ordepressions therein at diametrically opposite points between the convexedge portions, as clearly indicated by Figs. 3 and 4. The cutter shaft27 extends through the cam. head 3].,'and slidably mounted thereon is acutter 35 provided with a cam engaging member or yoke 36 having angulararms 37 carrying antifrictional rollers 38 which are held in contactwith the cam edges of the head 31, as also shown by Figs. 3 and 4. Thecutter 35 also has a rear cutter head 39, and therein are oppositelydisposed cutters 40 arranged in reverse relation and movable througharcuate openings 41 extending through the head 39 at equal distancesfrom the center of the latter and whose curvature is defined from thecenter of the said latter head. The forward extremity of the shaft 27 issquared, as at 42, and the opening 43 through the center of the cutteris of similar contour so that the cutter is caused to rotate with theshaft, but free to move longitudinally thereon, and by this means thereversely arranged cutting devices 40 are regularly thrown around intocutting position.

The cutter as an entirety is pressed forward to insure engagement of therollers 38 with the cam edge of the head 31 by a spring 44 surroundingthe shaft 27 between the rear terminal of the cutter head 39 and theadjacent head of the yoke 22, the cutter 35 as an entirety movingrearwardly against the resistance of the spring 44 when in engagementwith the high portions or convex means 33 of the cam head 31, and pushedforward by said spring to set up an equally forceful contact with theconcave edge means 34 of the said cam head. This operation of the cutteras an entirety ensues without in the least interfering with its rotationand also takes place during the forward travel of the machine withadvantages in cutting out the beets, as will be presently specified.

The cutting devices 40 are carried by arcuate shanks or stems 45 whichare adjustably mounted in the openings 41, the openings and shanks beingsquare so as to prevent the cutting devices from turning in the cutterhead 39. The shanks or stems 45 have movement in the cutter head and oneach shank or stem are springs 46 adjustable as to their tension by setcollars 47, said springs bearing at their opposite extremities againstthe set collars and adjacent portions of the cutter head and serve tocushion the shank so that when the cutting device 40 comes into contactwith an unresisting obstruction during the cutting operation it willyield without liability of breakage and after passing such obstructionwill be immediately reset in operative position. 7

The arrangement of the cutting devices as just explained is clearlyshown by Fig. 5, and the advantage of the reverse disposition of saidcutting devices is that each device becomes eifective as a cutting meansor will be thrown around into cutting position with re lation to thebeet row at each half-revolution of the head 39.

The coupling member 30 connected to each bearing bracket 28 and in turnto the shaft 27 and parts cooperating therewith has a lower forwardlyextending angular foot 48 to which the lower curved extremity 19 of ashifting lever 50 is movably attached, the said lever 50 being fulcrumedon the frame 1 as at 51, and adjacent to me fulcrum of this lever atoothed segment 52 rises from the frame for cooperation with the usualspring-actuated catch dog or locking means The lower curved extremity 19of the lever 50 is attached to the adjacent hanger 18 by a connectingbar 5%. By shifting the lever 50 rearwardly the hanger 18 will swingforwardly with the lower extremity 49 of the said lever and elevate thecutting mechanism out of operative relation with respect to the groundsurface, and a reverse movement of the lever 50 will dispose the cuttingmechanism in operative relation to the ground surface. It is alsopossible to adjust the lever 50 to such a degree as to operativelyelevate the cutting mechanism to conform to the height of beet rows whenthe latter are above the surface on which the ground wheels 6 maytravel, and it will be observed that the connecting bars 54 uniformlyswing the hangers 18 and 18 with the movement of the shifting levers 50.Another adjustment that may be adopted is to shift one lever 50 at oneside of the machine to a different position from that occupied by thelever at the other side of the machine to compensate for inequalities ofthe ground surface, as for instance, a slope or when working on ahillside.

In modifying the width of the machine, the side bars of the frame aremoved closer to each other or spread apart within the maximum adjustmentby releasing the bridge bar 3 and the cross bar 7 and subsequentlysecuring said bars to their cooperating frame bars or members, thesprocket wheels 1a, clutches 15, hanger bars 18 and 18 and set collars12 and 12* being all correspondingly moved and carrying the cuttingmechanism below therewith. It is obvious that when the hanger bars 18and 18 are shifted longitudinally on the shaft 12, the counter-shafts 20as well as the cutting mechanism driven by said shafts and suspendedbeneath the machine frame are simultaneously moved or shifted a distancecorresponding to the mo vement or adjustment of the side beams of theframe. By this means the machine may be adjusted to accommodate beetrows of different widths without detaching any of the driving devicesfor the cutting mechanism.

he machine is propelled forward with the cutting devices 40 arranged toengage the beet rows, and when the sprocket wheels 14 are thrown intooperative relation to the shaft 12, the counter-shafts 20 are actuatedand revolve the shafts 27. As hereinbefore indicated, the cutters rotatewith the shaft and cause the cutting devices to block out or warddirection, and while the machine is traveling forward the cutters slidebackward a certain distance owing to the use of the cam means and inview of the forward movement of the machine as an entirety the cuttingdevices will be caused to alternately cut squarely through the plants atintervals and skip or pass over a portion of the plants while thecutting devices are in a horizontal position. This operation ensues in asimilar manner on opposite sides of the machine and the beet rows arethus expeditiously blocker or thinned out at intervals.

-Iaving thus described the invention, what is claimet. as new, is:

1. In a beet blocker, a frame, a drive axle having ground wheels. apower transmitting shaft geared to the drive axle, cutting mechanism onopposite sides of the machine operated from the power transmitting shaftand consisting of cutters carrying reversely arranged cutting devices,shafts on which the cutters are longitudinally movable. cam means formoving the cutters lon itudinally on their shafts during the prog of themachine, and means for adjusting the cutting mechanism.

2. In a beet blocker, a frame, a power transmitting shaft, means foroperating said shaft, and cutting mechanism connected to said shaft andhaving longitudinal movement automatically imparted thereto during theprogress of the machine.

3. In a beet blocker, a frame, cutting mechanism supported by the frameand in cluding rotatable cutters, and means for operating the cuttingmechanism and also for automatically moving the latter longitudinallyduring the progress of the machine.

4. In a beet blocker, a frame, ground engaging devices supporting theframe, cutting mechanism at opposite sides of the frame includinglongitudinally extending rotatable shafts. means operatively connectingthe mechanism to the frame, means for actuating said shafts, cuttingdevices including cutters rotatably mounted on and longitudinallymovable over the shafts, resilient means for holding the cuttersnormally in a forward position, and cam means with which portions of thecutting devices are held in continual engagement.

In a beet blocker, a frame adjustable to various widths, cuttingmechanism at opposite sides of and suspended from the frame andincluding rotatable cutters, and mechanism for operating said cuttingmechanism and including a counter-shaft for each cutting mechanism atthe opposite sides of the frame, the said operating mechanism includingthe counter-shafts being adjustable to compensate for the adjustment ofthe frame.

6. In a beet blocker, a frame, cutting mechanism at opposite sides ofand suspendsever the tops of the beet plants in an in 1 ed from theframe and including rotatable cutters having longitudinal movementautomatically imparted thereto at intervals during the progress of themachine, the cutters operating to block the beets squarely in atransverse direction, and means for operating the said cuttingmechanism.

7. In a beet blocker, a frame, cutting mechanism at opposite sides ofthe frame including; rotatable cutters having longitudinal movementimparted thereto at intervals during the progress of the machine, meansfor adjusting the cutters at varying elevations on opposite sides of themachine, and means for operating the cutters.

8. In a beet blocker, a frame, cutting mechanism at opposite sides ofthe frame and including rotatable cutters having longitudinal movementautomatically imparted thereto at intervals, the cutters being movedlongitudinally during the travel of the machine in a forward direction,and means for operating the said cutting mechanism.

9. In a beet blocker, a frame, cutting mechanism held by the frame andincluding rotatable cutters comprising yielding members, the cuttersbeing automatically moved longitudinally at regular intervals during theprogress of the machine, and means for operating the said cuttingmechanism.

10. In a beet blocker, a frame, cutting mechanism supported by the frameand including rotatable double cutters, and having longitudinal movementautomatically imparted thereto at intervals each cutter operating toblock the beets at every half-revolution of the cutting mechanism, andmeans for operating the said cutting mechanism.

11. In a beet blocker, a frame, cutting mechanism at opposite sides ofthe frame including rotatable cutters Which have a longitudinal movementimparted thereto as the machine progresses, means for adjusting thecutters at varying elevations on opposite sides of the machine, meansfor operating the cutters, and means for rendering either one or both ofthe cutters inactive.

12. In a beet blocker, a frame, cutting mechanism held by the frame andincluding rotatable cutters, the cutters being movably supported andautomatically shifted longitudinally at regular intervals during theprogress of the machine, and means for operating the cutting mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of tWosubscribing Witnesses.

' ERNEST KRAAK.

Witnesses T. L. PARKER, F. R. FRoNIzER.

